Wire-fence machine



(No Model.)

B. J. WATTS & S. COOPER.

WIRE FENCE MACHINE. No. 361,561. Patented Apr. 19, 1887.

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PATENT WIRE-FENCE MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 361,561 dated April 19, 1887.

Application filed October 7, 1886. Serial No. 215,578., (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that we, ROBERT J. IVATTS and S UIRE COOPER, citizens of the United States, residing at Shelbyville, in the county of Shelby and State of Indiana,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in \Vire-Fence Machines; and we do declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the inven tion, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains 'to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification".

Our invention relates to a wire-fence machine, the object thereof being to facilitatethe twisting of the wires about the slats in the construction of fences; and it consists in the construction and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth and claimed.

In the annexed drawings, illustrating our invention, Figure 1 is a vertical side elevation of our improved wirefence machine, showing the whole of the twisting mechanism. Fig. 2 is a side elevation taken at right angles to the elevation of Fig. 1, with a portion of the box or casing broken away to expose the inner mechanism; and Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view.

Like letters of reference designate like parts in all the figures.

The frame of our machine consists of a vertical rectangular box or casing, which is inclosed on three sides, as A A and B, and open on the remaining side, and which is supported on a foot-piece or base, 0, ofysuitable construe tion, to assist in the easy locomotion of the machine from point torpoint in the field during its operation. A handle, K, secured to the box assists in moving it. This casing is provided, at convenient distances from the top and bottom, with horizontal arms D, consisting, preferably, oisingle pieces of metal bent into the form shownin the drawings,with an outer loop or notch to receive and hold a slat while the wires are being twisted about it.

a circular band, I), provided on its exterior peripheral surface with a series of sprockets,and a bevel-gear, 0, located within the band I) and rigidly affixed to the spindle a, on which also the rear plate is fastened. The several wheels E are connected and moved simultaneously by means of a chain, F,which passes around them all, a rotary motion being imparted to one of the wheelsas the upper oneby a crank secured on the extremity of the spindle a,which is extended through the casing for the purpose.

Adjacent to each of the wheels E is a horizontal shaft,G, extending between the sides A A and projecting outwardly through thesame. Said shafts carry bevel-gears H, which mesh with the bevel-gears c, and near the extremities of the shafts,outside of the walls A A, they are provided with slotted twisting-wheels I, made fast on the sh aft by means of suitable devicessuch as set screwspassing through collars that are integral with the wheels I. The wheels I are further provided with inwardlyprojecting tubular rims d,that are received into similarly shaped holes in the sides A, and which form the journals on which the shafts G revolve.

The sides A A are provided with horizontal slots 6 6, extending from the edge inward to the point where the shafts G are journaled also, the bevel-gears H have oppositelylocated slots passing from the periphery to within a shortdistance of the shaft G. The slots in the twisting-wheels I are properly aligned with the slots in the gears H, and the wheels I are so located as to enable them at a certain point in their rotation to bring their slots into coincidence with the slots 0 in the sides. The edges of the sides A A are preferably furnished with rods f, held in place by the rings 9 and serving to cover the slots 6 and prevent the wires from slipping out.

The operation of the machine may be briefly described as follows: A slat is first placed in position in the arms D D. The'rotative mechanism being so placed that the several slots of the twisting-wheels, the bevel-gears, and the sides A A may be properly in line with each other, the pairs of wires are passed through said slots and allowed to remain in them. The operator next grasps the handle of the crank and revolves it as many times as he desires to twist the wires. The machine is then moved ICO forward a suitable distance, another slat is put in place, and by a reverse motion of the crank the Wires are again twisted, and thus the operation proceeds.

Having thusdescribed our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Let ters Patent, is-

1. The combination,with a box or casing, of the driving-Wheelsj ou rnaled therein, each co1nposed of a sprocketed rim and aninteriorly-located gear, the connecting-chain for said driving-wheels, and the twisting devices journaled in the casing adjacent to the driving-wheels and each comprising a shaft carrying slotted wheels near each end, and a gear that meshes with the gear of the adjacent driver, substantially as described.

2. In a wire-fence machine, the combination of the box or casing slotted at e e, the twisting devices consisting of shafts G, carrying at either end the slotted wheels I, having tubular rims d, by means of which said twisting devices are journaled in the casing, and suitable actuating mechanism for the twisters, as herein specified and shown.

3. In a wire-fence machine, the combination of the slotted casing, the twisting devices journaled therein and having gears H, and the driving-wheels consisting of sprocketed rims b, and interior bevelgears, c, that mesh with the gears H, the series of driving-wheels being connected by a chain, B, so that the actuation of one will drive the series, substantially as described.

4. The combination of the casing consisting of sides A A and B, the sides A A being slotted at e e, as shown, the vertical rods f f, secured to the edges of the sides A A, the twisting devices journaled in the casing and actuated substantially as described, and the slatsupporting arms, all arranged in the manner and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures in presence of two Witnesses.

ROBERT J. WATTs.

SQUIRE coornn.

Witnesses:

DAVID L. WILsoN, THOMAS B. ADAMS. 

